


Medraut and Emrys

by CaptArthur (anauthorsworld00)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Dragon Lord Merlin, Druid Mordred, F/M, Magic Morgana, Slow Burn, badass merlin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-03-04 20:12:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18819883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anauthorsworld00/pseuds/CaptArthur
Summary: When Merlin was a boy Hunith deemed the best option for keeping him safe was to hand him over to the druids so he could fulfil his destiny and right the wrongs of the world.He's supposed to protect the once and future king but they aren’t certain sending him in unprepared is their best bet.But they fail to notice his unwillingness to follow their every order, and when a young druid boy gets injured and trapped amidst a kingdom that will kill him, he goes in despite their wishes.He's the boys only hope. But will the boy be his doom?





	1. I

Merlin pulled his cloak further around him, the air was chilly and he had neither clothed himself properly nor brought the correct instruments for this off the book rescue mission. He hadn’t even known about the druids trying to get to their little safe haven in the woods until he had heard him. The cries and whimpers of a magic user in desperate need of help, Merlin couldn't understand why the elders were so adamant that helping him was the wrong thing to do. But if they wouldn't, Merlin would. 

He stared up at the castle in awe, the most his living situation arose to was tents and the occasional derelict barn, this was beautiful, dangerously beautiful. He only wished magic wasn’t outlawed and that perhaps he might have had a life there. 

Shaking himself from his selfish thoughts he tuned back into the mind and thoughts of the young druid boy in trouble trapped within the castle, he was not here for himself but for the people like him, and maybe just a slither for himself, to prove to the elders that he was just as capable at keeping himself safe as he was others. They believed wholly in his destiny but they failed to notice just how much he had grown since Hunith had given him up to them, he believed in his destiny but he would get there himself whether it was with them or without them, and he would not compromise his morals to get there. 

He took off towards the castle once again, neck scarf pulled up over the lower part of his face to warm it as the wind whipped around him icily. 

‘Help me.’ 

Merlin pushed himself faster, his feet ignoring the slips on the wet grass as he launched himself towards Camelot and closer into an alliance with those he felt inclined to protect. Those included the little druid boy hoping for help somewhere all alone with no one to protect him, in a place magic was sought out and destroyed. Merlin couldn’t help but think he was letting this little boy down by not getting there sooner, he was still minutes away. And minutes could have been all he had. 

‘I’m coming.’

Merlin willed forth, hoping, just hoping his telepathy would reach the boy. He skidded to a halt at the entrance to the lower town, breath leaving him in short bursts of steam in front of his face. His eyes whipped around the people, noting the distinct lack of cloaks, clearly, it was a druid thing and he would only stand out more if he didn’t at least attempt to blend in. He threw his cloak into a nearby embankment and set off into the little town, trying to slow his breathing, he was just another peasant going about his life. His shirt was dirty and his scarf was back around his neck if he hurried and kept his head low maybe they wouldn’t notice that he was an entirely new face in the crowds. 

‘Where are you?’

‘Hurt.’ 

The boy whimpered, and his voice was clearer now, if not a slight bit foggy, whatever had happened to him must have taken something of a toll. 

‘I can help. Where are you?’

‘Hiding. They are going to find me.’

‘Where are you hiding?’

‘Behind a cart. They caught my master.’

‘Past the lower town?’

‘Inside the main gates.’

Merlin swore and continued on his way, no one was sharing him a passing glance after he had pulled his neck scarf back down to just hanging loosely around his neck once more. Without that difference, he was suddenly just another peasant boy walking about the town. 

There were guards shaking everyone down looking for the boy. They claimed him dangerous for being a practitioner, a threat to Camelot, to the King who had been in charge of The Great Purge, someone the elders had insisted he be in fear of.

Insisted that he hate. 

But Merlin disliked the idea of hate, he knew nothing of Other Pendragon formerly, he only knew rumours and in his experience, no one deserved to be called forth for rumours, he knew that deeply. 

“You boy!” 

Merlin cringed, shoulders rising to touch his ears, he turned to the guard whose hand was resting on his sword hilt. 

“Yes, sir?”

“Have you seen a druid boy run this way?”

Merlin shook his head, he truly hadn’t, he wasn't lying, “Sorry, sir, no.”

“Be on your way then, boy. Report it if you see anything.”

“Yes, sir.”

Merlin hunched himself over and hurried out of sight. He didn’t know what he would do if he was caught like that again, how on earth was he supposed to sneak a boy they were searching for off castle grounds? It was unprecedented. 

But try, he would. 

He spotted the boy almost as soon as he came into the square, he wasn’t easy to spot but Merlin could feel the pain the boy was feeling almost as if he was pushing it through their link. Merlin span around to check for guards before approaching the boy. He threw out a quick illusionment charm so they were hidden before ducking down to place his hand against the boys head. 

The boy reacted murmuring softly, pain etched into his features, as he tried to pull away. There was no way Merlin was going to be getting the boy out of the square without being seen, he was too physically injured, and the cloak showed no help in hiding the boy it was only a beacon to draw them to him. 

Merlin looked around quickly, he needed to get him out of sight but they were in the most heavily guarded castle in all the lands, filled with people who would turn them over to the King without a second thought. There was nowhere else to take him except further into the belly of the beast. 

Looking for his moment, Merlin pulled the boy into his arms he darted the two of them into the castle. The boy's feet barely touched the floor, and Merlin strained to keep them moving as one unit. He was barely built to keep himself upright nevermind someone else. 

The corridor was empty as he held the boy close and struggled down the stone corridors, they only had moments alone before they were caught and Merlin needed to find a place to hide them, soon. 

He had surely gotten himself in over his head. No doubt. But he would not give in, he would not give those elders the pleasure of knowing that he'd had to accept they'd been right all along. He'd save this boy if it was the last thing he did. 

There was no way of knowing if the rooms were occupied or not. There was no way. 

Merlin threw caution to the wind, when he heard sounds of guards behind them, as he pushed them into a room and pulled the boy closer to him despite the muffled scream of the woman in the room. 

The wrong room clearly. 

“What is going on?”

Merlin wheezed out a breath as he struggled to keep the boy from falling to the floor. 

“Is that the druid boy?”

Merlin looked at them then down at the boy. They were for sure dead, maybe the elders were right this once. 

“Yes.”

“Get him on the bed then.”

Merlin looked shocked at them but didn’t refute them and brought him over to the bed, the boy squirmed eyes fluttering open and shut. 

“What happened to him?”

“Found him like this. He has a cut on his arm, I think it’s infected.”

Merlin was further out of his depth than he had been since he was a child. He couldn’t help the panic rising in his chest as he thought of what happened next, it was only a matter of time before they were reported to the King. Just because there was one good samaritan in the castle didn’t mean that everyone in the castle would be. It was only a matter of time. 

The woman looked scared as she moved the sweaty hair off of the boy’s forehead and felt his head. 

“He has a fever! Do you know how to treat this?”

“Not without breaking a rule.” He muttered softly under his breath, much to the woman’s confusion before it dawned on her. 

“You’re a druid too! But you weren’t with the boy when his master was caught?”

“I came to get him but I’m not a druid. I live with them though, I won’t tell you where they live.”

He was adamant on that, he’d already said much more than he should have done, the elders would be furious with him if they found out. He’d wanted it to be in and out almost as much as the druids hadn’t wanted him to be here, this was all a bloody mess. 

She shook her head, “I disagree with what Uther has been doing with magic. People shouldn’t be executed for being magic or being druid, some of you do nothing wrong.”

“Most of us do nothing wrong. It’s just fear, that turned to hate, which turned to annihilation. Most of my people hate him back.”

“Do you not?”

“I do not believe in hating someone you have never encountered. I have lived a sheltered life but the druids would like to think we all hate Uther Pendragon and all he stands for, but I understand the possible fear he could feel, you are both dangerous to us as we are dangerous to you. There is no reason for me to hate Uther Pendragon before he does anything purely against me specifically. So I don’t hate him, but I am wary.”

The woman made a soft sound, “you’re very wise.”

Merlin nodded eyes sparkling, “thank you.”

He looked to the boy then froze head tilted to the side, “guards are coming.”

He grabbed the boy and pulled them both behind a screen, Merlin on the floor first the boy cradled in his arms despite the murmured protests, and thinly veiled whimpers. 

The woman waited by the door until that telltale knock sounded. 

Merlin muttered a quick illusionment charm until his eyes glowed gold and he held his hand over the boy's mouth to muffle any sounds the boy might have made in his unconscious state. 

“Arthur, what are you doing?”

“Someone heard a scream, we’re searching for a young druid boy. Your chambers are not exempt, Morgana.”

“Well feel free to look, there is no druid boy hiding here.”

Merlin held his breath as he felt the people draw closer to his charm. The boy squirmed in his arms but Merlin only held on tighter. 

The screen was drawn back and he heard Morgana’s intake of breath before he looked up at the man looking down on them. Merlin felt his mouth dry up, but now was no time to think of anything other than the boy swaddled in his arms. 

The screen was placed back and the search was drawn out of the room and the door closed. 

Merlin removed his hand from the boy's mouth and removed the charm as Morgana pulled the screen open again. 

Her eyes wide as she took them in, Merlin tired from his magic and the boy getting paler as he lay there. 

“Can you help him with magic?”

“You aren’t going to turn me in?”

“I would have told Arthur if I was going to.”

“Good point. And yes.”

Merlin peeled himself out from beneath the boy and pulled a pillow beneath his head to make him comfier, before propping himself up on his knees beside the boy. 

He opened his palm over the boys cut and took a deep breath, the words were magic to him as much as the feeling of drawing power from the earth was. He was an Old Religion practitioner and not many druids could harness the same power he could. 

The boy’s eyes rolled up into his head as he squirmed from the feeling of their magic interacting and the wound closing and healing up, the infection relenting leaving him with just a slight fever and the possibility of a few days sleep needed. 

Merlin slumped down against the wall beside him, his eyes burning gold where they locked onto Morgana’s. 

“I do not see how Uther could see that as dangerous.”

“If I can heal a cut and an infection, think about what I could do to cause them. He’s afraid of what I might be able to do, as am I.”

“What do you mean?”

“Destinies. I have a destiny, you have a destiny, this boy has a destiny. Mine is just better known as something that people should fear, I’m the boy of magic who the druids fear never mind everyone else.”

“I’m Morgana, and I’m not afraid of you.”

Merlin grinned at her tiredly and drew a hand through the boy’s hair carefully, so much so the boy curled up into it turning Merlin’s grin at Morgana into a soft smile down at the boy. 

“I’m Merlin.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Merlin. Do you know his name?”

Merlin shook his head, “I heard him calling for help, my elders turned from him but I couldn’t, so I came. I was just lucky yours was the room we came to, to hide.”

She smiled at him, “I’m glad I could help. What do you mean you could hear him?”

“Only certain sorcerers can do it, but it’s called telepathy. A few of my elders have it, as do I and so does he. He was scared and hoped someone could help him if he called out for it. I couldn’t just sit around and wait for him to stop calling as my elders asked.”

“You are much more different than I expected of people with magic, Merlin.”

“Thank you, Morgana.”


	2. II

He ran his hand through his hair as the little boy snuggled deeper into him, they were both barely more than skin and bones but it was enough for them. Morgana was standing by the window, watching the execution. Merlin couldn’t bear it, he’d want to do something and that’s the reason he wound up here. There was no way he could help the man and the boy without being found out, and he wouldn’t put that on Morgana because they were hiding out in her chambers. 

He settled himself to just keep this boy safe, if he could do that then he could at least alleviate some of his guilt for not stopping the execution. 

Looking over him he could not understand why his elders had been so adamant against his survival, he was just a boy. What was his destiny to be if it wasn’t helping out his own kind and instead of protecting a people who sought to have him killed? It just didn’t seem right. 

His destiny had always seemed to draw him on a hardened path. He had lost his mother over it. He’d pushed through harrowing trials over it. He’d been forced on the run from an early age. And now he’d been told to ignore the cries of a scared boy just to maintain it. 

He set himself, he would do whatever it took to fulfil his destiny but he would not give up who he was to be what the elders wanted him to be. He would get there on his own path, he could not ignore what he thought was right just to let something that is destined to happen because it was destined so no matter what he did he would get there on his own path. 

He would tell the elders when he got back there. He vowed to himself that he would, he could not be cowardly about this now, not after all he’d done to convince himself of his right to go on as he wished to. 

‘Emrys?’

Merlin shifted the boy in his arms as he stirred in his tired state. 

“I’m right here.”

The boy stiffened as he realised that his saviour had spoken outside of the safety of their mental connection, it left them vulnerable and from all he’d learnt from his previous master vulnerability meant death. 

But this was his saviour, his Emrys, there was little the druids wouldn’t do for the legendary Emrys and if he trusted this girl he would learn to also. 

The girl looked across at them, eyes wide kind and worried, she knew what he was, she couldn’t not, and here they were utterly protected within a kingdom that would have them killed at the turn of a head, and some girl was protecting them with everything she had. He could see why Emrys felt it only right to trust her. 

"Has he said anything yet?" Emrys looked down at the boy whose eyes were wide with fear, he expelled a breath before looking back up at her, his inner being trusted her but he could feel the little boys' was far from accepting of her knowing just yet, he shook his head. 

"He's only just woken, I gather trauma has taken his voice for now. But we're not going anywhere for now I gather, I would say there is time yet."

She nodded, wholly accepting of his reasoning, there was no reason not to trust him. He'd shown little to her but the little he had shown was enough to make her calm. He was completely there, mostly open for someone she'd known barely an hour and he cared. Had she given any thought into the magical community before now she would have figured no one would risk their neck for a similar punishment, yet here he was hardly a man and yet so much more courageous than she would have thought one could be. he protected his own and she respected him for that. 

"Yes, I'd be correct in agreeing with you, but the King is a ruthless man to your kind and the longer you stay here the more likely he will be to find you here. It would be much worse for you than me. We will have to find a way for you to escape unscathed, I fear for you Merlin as much as the boy."

Merlin smiled wistfully at her but kept his arms tight on the boy. He cared for him more than any other he had known, and it had been not yet long enough to love one like a brother but he felt the connection even if he could not yet name it. 

"We must get back to my elders, it is where he will be safe."

She nodded, "I will try my best to get you out of here safely."

"I would not wish for you to get into trouble on our behalf. I will not have that on my conscience, you can help so long as you are not in any danger."

She pursed her lips, she disliked anyone treating her as frail just because of her gender. Even so, she'd been looking into his eyes as he'd spoken to her, he wasn't belittling her, his eyes were caring and sweet, she felt her heart jump. No boy had treated her such a way out of the kindness of their own heart, the only ones she had interacted with were her guardian's son and his knights, neither were anything like Merlin, it was a nice thought. 

She knew his eyes were still on her even as she looked away, she disliked giving anyone any sort of control over her, it wasn't in her nature to give in so easily, but she wanted to help them, she feared he would argue against all involvement if she didn't agree with him here. 

Her lips turned down almost in a snarl before she released it and turned to look at him, "I agree to your terms, but I am helping."

He dipped his head in submission to her request, he couldn't see himself stopping her from helping no matter what happened, and he could see his young friend starting to warm up to the stubborn girl, as soon as she had his trust Merlin knew there would be nothing stopping her from seeing them again. 

"No one but my servant should be by later but I can beg out of her help in favour of an early nights rest, I hardly get a full night she won't question it."

Merlin fought the urge to ask her about her lack of sleep, he didn't know her well enough to inquire into her sleep habits. If they met again, perhaps, for now, their responsibility was the little boy cradled in Merlin's arms. 

"I suppose you don't know of the knights' rotor do you?"

She shook her head, "not exclusively, however, I am aware of the existence of some tunnels beneath the stone floors of this castle. But we will have to get the key from the prince."

Merlin paled, his eyes flicking to those sleepy blue orbs of his young companion. He'd known it was a risky endeavour to take up, he hadn't expected to be encountering both the object of his destiny and the castle that was plagued with the death of so many of his people all in one day. His destiny seemed merely an arm's length away and yet he wasn't prepared to take the leap, he wasn't going to forsake the young druid in favour of everything the elders had been preparing him for. It was not yet his time. Not yet his time to give into the words of the legend, he could be Emrys another day, today he was just Merlin, a young boy with veins filled with magic and honour. He'd protect this boy if it was the last thing he was to do, even if it meant he no longer got to fulfil his destiny. This was his choice, and he preferred it much more to that of being forced onto a path already written for him. 

Settling himself, he knew what his choice was, whatever he had to do to protect this innocent and alone little boy. 

"Whatever we have to do."

His voice was cold, he hadn't meant it to be, he'd wanted to prove to himself and them that he was all in. He hadn't realised that his strong insistence left the air with a faint sizzling aroma, his eyes burning faintly gold as he pushed his whole being into his beliefs. He wanted to prove himself as Merlin before he was forced to prove himself as Emrys. 

The boy nodded his head, his lips didn't have to move nor his voice didn't have to fill their heads for them to know that he was all in, he'd do anything to make sure neither one of them was caught, and he and Merlin were to get away free of any consequences. 

The three steeled themselves for what was about to be a long night.


	3. Chapter 3

Merlin sat stewing at the table, Morgana was nibbling on a piece of bread as the boy spooned more of the salty broth into his hungry mouth. He was pouring over maps and notes that Morgana had been hoarding in her room since her first few attempts at escaping the castle for the wilder outside, somewhere away from her ruthless guardian and his cocky son.

Merlin had been trying to focus on something other than stealing a key from the prince’s personal chambers, he wanted to get the whole plan fixed to a plan with a backup plan, with a backup plan. He wanted to rely on the three of them to get out. He didn’t want magic to even make an appearance unless it was absolutely necessary, they couldn’t have the kings men searching for them out there. They couldn’t have Morgana risking her neck for theirs, that was their one condition, his one condition and she’d agreed. He couldn’t risk more than himself for this boy, he’d had no plan going in but he sure would have one escaping, they could not leave anything to chance.

The boy hadn’t spoken a word since his whisperings unto Merlin’s mind and Merlin having told Morgana he had not yet spoken. They knew nothing of him, not even his name. It didn’t worry them, however, he was a boy and his eyes trusted them, there was little more they needed to know.

There was a knock at the door and Merlin looked up at Morgana with wide eyes as the boys spoon dropped back into the bowl, splatting the salty broth onto the table and onto the boy. He whimpered as the heat touched his skin. Merlin grabbed him and wrestled him to the floor, hand over his mouth preventing them from making much more sound as they begged for cover behind the screen that Morgana would have used for changing if this was a normal day.

She begged for her voice to remain normal as she called out for whoever was at the door to enter, she didn’t need this, not now. All she wanted was to get those boys out of the castle and away from the danger that always loomed over magic users in Camelot.

The person who appeared at the door was not a threat but still not someone Morgana wanted risking their neck for something that she should not have been caught up with in the first place.

“Lady Morgana, is everything alright, you look unwell?”

“I must be coming down with something, Gwen, I haven’t been feeling myself as of late.”

Merlin held his breath as he held his hand over the boy's mouth. There was little they could do now, it only solidified the knowledge that they needed to get out of Camelot, now, and fast.

He didn’t want to steal the key from the prince, of course, he didn’t but his next option was magic and he wasn’t sure of which the punishment would be worse.

The boy burrowed his way closer to Merlin and he felt his heart beat quicker, he already cared more for this boy than he may have any other rescue and he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Either way, he didn’t look forward to figuring it out.

“I can get Gaius?”

“No, I wouldn’t want to bother him, I was just hoping to seclude myself until it got better on its own. There is no need to worry anyone of this Gwen.”

“If you’re sure my lady. Is there anything else you may need.”

“That will be all Gwen, thank you.”

Merlin breathed again as soon as the door closed and the near bad ending was away. He let go of the boy even as he slumped further onto Merlin his eyelids drooping. He felt bad as he shook the boy awake, they were overstaying their welcome, that much was clear to Merlin.  
The boy sat up startled but awake, he stifled a yawn into his hand and tried to fight the drooping of his eyes. He trusted Merlin wholeheartedly and he knew if this is what Merlin was asking for he only had to trust him.

Merlin helped him to his feet and Morgana glanced worriedly at the newly closed door.

“We must be going. We have evidently overstayed our welcome.”

She looked like she was going to oppose his view but they both knew that they would have to leave at some point.

“You know how you are to get out?”

“Magic, I’m afraid. There is little other opportunity for us to leave unfound. If I act smart we might be seen but we shouldn’t be caught.”

Morgana looked worriedly between them, she’d grown to care about both boys as their days together increased. She knew that she’d hate to see them go but she would more so hate to see them die if they decided to stick around.

She pursed her lips and nodded, she’d help of course she would.

“What are you planning?”

Merlin smiled at her insistence to help and knew once and for all that she was to be forever an ally to magic and he would never forget her for this, neither it seemed would the boy for he looked at her as if he was smitten much to Merlin’s delight.

He pushed the maps closer to her on the table and began to describe his plans. 

* * *

 

Merlin had animated illusions across the castle to at least give them some time to get out and away from the castle before they even realised what had happened.

He’d stashed the boy’s turquoise cloak in an empty room, the bright colour and rich material would only reveal them as sorcerer’s before Merlin had a chance to show them what he could really do.

Morgana was instructed to stay with Uther and Arthur, keep them away from the side of the castle where Merlin intended to escape from. They’d bid farewell to her with hugs and words finally passing from the boy's lips. His name, Mordred.

They were three M’s two magicians and one with no problem with it, they would be forever friends and they truly would never forget this.

Merlin unlocked the secret passage with a wave of his hand and the golden glow of his eyes, Mordred watched with apt curiosity but allowed for his new friend to drag him down the corridor and away from the danger that loomed over them.

There was little sound as they made their way through the tunnels beneath the castle, Merlin’s heart was beating out of his chest but he tried to pretend he wasn’t utterly afraid for Mordred’s sake.

If they were to be caught there would be no turning back, they would be crucified as magicians upon the stones that held Camelot steady. They would be made examples of and if the magic community heard that Merlin had been caught the only thing that would come out of this would be violence. He was to be their saviour, the one to pull magic and non-magic to the end of the war, that time wasn’t now and it never would be if they were to be caught. He was wholly aware of that fact, but he was also wholly aware of how he would never forgive himself if he had just let Mordred be caught, that was not who he wanted to be.

He gripped Mordred’s hand tighter until they got to the other side of the tunnel, his hand waved and his eyes glowed and suddenly the gate was swinging open before their very eyes. He hoisted Mordred down to the ground before he too followed. The moon shone light upon their new path, they had a long night ahead of them and a dangerous life, but they would be better knowing they would be in for it together.

“Come on.”

He tugged once until he realised Mordred was staring fearfully up at the shadow that the castle passed upon this part of the land.

“Mordred what is it?”

“They would have killed me.”

Merlin’s heart chipped a little bit, he was too young to have to worry about these things.

“Yes. They would have killed you.”

“They would have killed you too.”

Merlin nodded, “Yes.”

“Why?”

“We are not like them, but we are like one another. They are afraid of what is different from them as we are. There was a war, we were harsh to them as they were to us, but we were more dangerous. The king of these parts decreed us an enemy, anyone with magic will die if caught using magic.”

“But I never used any.”

“Getting us young is what they pride themselves on. But they won’t get to you, because you’re with me. And with me you’re safe. I will keep you safe.”

Mordred blinked up at him with those big blue eyes and finally allowed Merlin to pull him along and away from Camelot. They had a long journey to get through if they wanted to get there as daybreak hit. The encampment was hidden by a spell, no one could bother them, and even if they hadn’t wanted Mordred safe they wanted Merlin safe and he was not letting the little boy out of his sight.


End file.
